What Are Human Factors and How Do They Affect Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses?

As a business owner, you must take precautions to protect workers from injuries and illnesses. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says that nearly 3 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses occur each year in the workplace. Human factors, of course, are closely correlated with work-related injuries and illnesses. By familiarizing yourself with human factors, you can create a safer workplace for you and your workers.

What Are Human Factors?

Human factors are things in the workplace that affect workers' behaviors. They can be tangible or intangible. Tangible human factors include things like the workplace's furnace and design. Intangible human factors include things like work schedules, policies, leadership, training and employee recognition.

Not all hazards affect workers' behaviors. Conventional hazards like spilled liquids, for example, won't affect workers' behaviors, so they aren't classified as human factors. Only hazards that affect workers' hazards are classified as human factors.

How Human Factors Affect Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses

While different types of work-related injuries and illnesses have different causes, many of them are attributed to human factors. Human factors affect workers' behaviors. Workers may feel fatigued if they work too long without taking a break, for instance. And fatigue may cause workers to make mistakes that leave them susceptible to injury or illness.

Addressing Human Factors: What You Should Know

To prevent human factors from placing workers at risk for injuries and illnesses, you must evaluate your workplace for behavior-related hazards. Behavior-related hazards are human factors. Any hazard that affects workers' behavior can be classified as a human factor.

You may need to create new policies for your workplace to address human factors. Poor policies may have a negative impact on workers' behaviors, thus increasing the risk of injuries and illnesses. You may also need to invest in new furniture or equipment. Regardless, addressing human factors requires a multiprong approach.

Human factors are found in all types of workplaces. From factories and warehouses to retail stores and offices, all types of workplaces have at least some human factors. While you can't necessarily eliminate them, you can address human factors so that they don't place workers at risk for injury and illness.

In Conclusion

Human factors can lead to work-related injuries and illnesses when ignored. They are things in the workplace that affect workers' behaviors. Failure to address human factors in your workplace can result in increased rates of work-related injuries and illnesses.